Week 5 Flashcards
Discretion
In most instances police have discretion concerning which crimes they investigate and how thoroughly they investigate.
Bayley (1985) and Sobol (2010) argue that this discretion is inevitable because police will adapt to excessive demands on their time by varying their allocation of resources.
La France (1969) adds that discretion is also required so that poorly formulated laws are enforced in line with their intended use, that obsolete laws are not enforced and because enforcing every law would be too harsh.
Some have suggested that police have used their discretion poorly with regards diverting excessive resources to investigating and prosecuting minority groups (for a discussion see, Tyler, 2011), the investigation and prosecution of rape complaints (e.g., Stern, 2010) and the investigation and prosecution of domestic violence.
Discretion
rudeness
Further, a number of studies have shown that people who are rude or aggressive to police are more likely to be arrested (e.g., Klinger, 1994; Sobol, 2010)
whereas other research, albeit laboratory based, suggests that innocent suspects are more likely to be rude or aggressive than guilty suspects (see Kassin, 2005).
Investigative decision-making
Assess evidence in light of preconceived beliefs (e.g., Ask & Granhag, 2005).
Can change in light of very strong evidence (e.g., Häkkänen, Ask, Kebbell, Alison & Granhag, 2009).
EXAMPLE
Operation CREVICE
Plot to attack Bluewater Shopping Centre, England.
CREVICE used almost all MI5’s operational capability
4,020 telephone calls
30 addresses searched
45,000 hours of monitoring and transcription
34,000 hours of surveillance
What/who do you prioritise?
LATER ONE OF THE CALLS WAS ID’D AS MOHHAMED SIDDQUE KHAN WHO LATER WENT ON TO COMMIT 7/7
London Bombers 7/7
Mohammed Siddique Khan
Shazad Tanweer
21/7 Bombers
The largest investigation the Metropolitan Police Service has ever conducted
Osman Hussein
Jean Charles de Menezes
Innocent civilian shot and killed by police due to mistaken identity / poor communication
Muhammed Haneef
Vogel & Kebbell (2011) Participants found Haneef to be reasonably guilty of providing support to a terrorist organisation 4.73 out of 7.
He is the second cousin once removed of Kafeel Ahmed and Sabeel Ahmed, the operatives in the 2007 Glasgow International Airport attack.
mohammed haneef
Further info
Dr Mohamed Haneef, an Indian national, was arrested at Brisbane airport on 2 July 2007 in connection with a failed London bomb plot. He was held for twelve days before being charged with providing support to a terrorist organisation. The charge was unsustainable and was quickly dropped. However, in the interim Dr Haneef’s immigration visa was cancelled on character grounds - a decision which on review was found to be unlawful.
Investigative failure
Poor initial investigation
Cognitive biases (Rossmo, 2005)
Investigative success
Often ignored
Effective detectives
(Westera, Kebbell, Milne & Green, 2014).
